Method and apparatus for filtering contaminated water

Abstract

A method for forming a filter for passing contaminated water using a device and one or more media. The device comprises of one or more elements that are capable of undergoing degradation. The increased area available for flow is obtained by adding a first media to predetermined areas of the device and allowing the elements to undergo degradation to bring about an increase in the area available for passing the contaminated water.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for forming a filter for passing contaminated water, said method comprising: providing a device which comprises of one or more elements that are capable of undergoing degradation, adding a first media to predetermined areas of said device, and allowing said one or more elements to undergo degradation to bring about an increase in area available to pass said contaminated water. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more elements are made wholly or partly of degradable material selected from the group consisting of biodegradable polymers, photodegradable polymers, hydrolytically degradable polymers, thermally degradable polymers, oxidatively degradable polymers, mechanically degradable polymers, biodegradable composites, photodegradable composites, hydrolytically degradable composites, thermally degradable composites, oxidatively degradable composites, mechanically degradable composites, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more elements are of predetermined size and shape. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing said one or more elements to undergo degradation is accomplished by manually inducing degradation. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of said one or more elements is at least two times the footprint area of said one or more elements. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein predetermined areas of said device are covered with degradable material. 
     
     
       7. A method for forming a filter for passing contaminated water, said method comprising: providing a device which comprises of one or more elements that are made wholly or partly of degradable material, said degradable material selected so that said one or more elements are capable of degrading within a desired time period that is based on environmental chamber tests, adding a first media to first predetermined areas of said device, and allowing said one or more elements to degrade into a second media to bring about an increase in area available to pass said contaminated water. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said first media and said second media have different particle size, particle size distribution, particle shape, proportion of fine particles, uniformity coefficient, porosity, pore size, pore size distribution, composition, or surface properties. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said degradable material is selected from the group consisting of biodegradable polymers, photodegradable polymers, hydrolytically degradable polymers, thermally degradable polymers, oxidatively degradable polymers, mechanically degradable polymers, biodegradable composites, photodegradable composites, hydrolytically degradable composites, thermally degradable composites, oxidatively degradable composites, mechanically degradable composites, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of allowing said one or more elements to degrade is accomplished by manually inducing degradation. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the surface area of said one or more elements is at least two times the footprint area of said one or more elements. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said one or more elements are of predetermined size and shape. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , wherein predetermined areas of said device are covered with degradable material. 
     
     
       14. A method for forming a filter for passing contaminated water, said method comprising: providing a device which comprises of one or more elements that are made wholly or partly of hydrolytically degradable material and are of predetermined size and shape, said degradable material selected so that said one or more elements are capable of degrading following addition of water, adding a first media to predetermined areas of said device, and allowing said one or more elements to degrade into a second media to bring about an increase in area available to pass said contaminated water. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein said first media and said second media have different particle size, particle size distribution, particle shape, proportion of fine particles, uniformity coefficient, porosity, pore size, pore size distribution, composition, or surface properties. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the surface area of said one or more elements is at least two times the footprint area of said one or more elements. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein predetermined areas of said device are covered with degradable material. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said desired time period is about 5 years. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said desired time period is about 10 years.